District update on action related to water test results

Dear Parents,

As you may be aware, in September 2016, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a
new law that requires public schools in New York to test all water
currently or potentially used for drinking or cooking purposes for
lead levels.

The state defined 15 parts per billion (ppb) of lead as the action
level for test results, meaning that if any test result from a
water outlet exceeds 15 ppb, schools must take action to prevent
these sources from being used for drinking or cooking until the
lead level is remediated.

This letter is to update you that the district has taken
significant action to replace any remaining infrastructure that
returned results above the state-mandated action level of 15 ppb.
This summer the district has replaced twenty faucets, piping in
the Middleburgh Elementary School kitchen, and removed drinking
fountains in Middleburgh Elementary School. These actions were
done over the summer to disrupt school instruction as little as
possible.

Additional testing has shown that three sources of water remain
above the state-mandated action level. Two of these sources, an
elementary faculty bathroom sink and an elementary gym office
bathroom sink, are not used by students for water drinking or food
preparation. Both sites are clearly marked with signs that
prohibit drinking. The third source, three sinks in the
Middleburgh Elementary School kitchen, have not been used since
initial test results came back on October 27, 2016. Other sinks in
the kitchen that have tested below the action level have continued
to be used for food preparation. The piping in the kitchen has
been replaced, and the district is awaiting new test results. The
outlets that have tested above the state-mandated action level
will remain offline and/or labeled until a remediation plan is
completed and further testing shows that lead levels are below the
action level.

Please be aware that the district has provided four filtered water
bottle filling stations throughout the building.

The district takes these findings very seriously and continues to
work closely with the Health, Safety, and Risk Management Service
at Capital Region BOCES to ensure that we can continue to provide
safe and healthy drinking water for students and staff. We will
continue to keep you informed as we work through this process. If
you have any questions or concerns about this update, please
contact the district office at (518) 827-3625.